Member Since: 13 Feb 2016
Location: Gothenburg
Posts: 2
Draining battery too fast when doors are open
Hi all,
I'm a (mostly) happy Disco4 owner living in Gothenburg, Sweden. First time asking a question on this forum that I've been frequently reading.
I can´t get my head around the problem that the battery is draining rapidly when you have the car parked and have the tailgate and/or doors open. I experienced this again when going to the Alps. Battery is full, naturally, after the long drive from Sweden. (It is a new premium battery, only one year old.) The day after, when taking the car from the hotel to the slopes, having it parked, the doors open, changing to ski boots sitting on the tail gate etc. Radio turned off naturally. After 10-15 minutes the dashboard message says “Battery Low, start the engine…” . It was not cold, like -1 deg C. I checked my Ctek Battery Sense battery monitoring via Bluetooth and the battery had dropped from 100% to 70%. See attatched screen dump. Is there any tricks to make the car shut down completely while having the doors open?
I’m planning to camp in my car, sleep in it and need to be able to have the doors and/or tailgate open a lot without draining the battery. Or have the engine running the entire night...
NJSSAm I Gammon or Woke ? - I neither know nor care.
2016 Discovery 4 Landmark
2011 Mercedes Benz SL350 (R230)
1973 MG B GT V8 - 3.9L John Eales engine, 5 speed R380 gearbox, since 1975.
1959 MGA roadster - 1.9L Peter Burgess Engine - 5 speed gearbox
Past LRs - Multiple FFRs, Discos & a Series I - some petrol, some diesel,
none Electric or H2 fuel cell - yet.
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26th Feb 2017 12:45 pm
L319
Member Since: 14 Dec 2013
Location: Herefordshire
Posts: 2080
Not sure how D4 works, but is the key near enough to keep the various ecu's awake? On the d3 if the key is in the barrel flattens the battery very quickly as I found out.
26th Feb 2017 7:01 pm
mz mini
Member Since: 02 Jul 2014
Location: Sunny Devon
Posts: 1759
Battery sounds to be on its last legs or is the alternator dying ? I would check the charge rate first I didn't put a new battery in the failing alternator killed that ,then I replaced the alternator hen need another new battery Land Rover 90 - deceased
Discovery 3 - deceased
Discovery 4 2013
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26th Feb 2017 8:00 pm
lespes
Member Since: 17 Sep 2009
Location: Sitting Down
Posts: 2232
It does not take long for the battery to go into shutdown with doors open.
I use mine to work from regularly and if you do not lock doors then open rear gate after locking the battery will soon drain.
By doing this can have access through rear and battery does not drain.
The pain is if you need to open doors for anything again, you then have to close rear tailgate, all doors lock and then open tailgate again or else the battery will drain very quickly.
Fitting second battery will not stop this, but will give you a means to jump start yourself, if main batt goes flat. D4 Landmark MY16 Santorini Black THE LAST
D4 HSE MY12 Marmais Teal: Gone. Missed a lot!
Freelander 2 SD HSE MY11 Silver:Thankfully gone.
D4 HSE MY11 Silver: Gone missed !
Range Rover Sport MY06 HSE Buck Blue: Gone missed!
Discovery D2 TD5 Facelift MY Red Gone Missed!
Discovery D2 TD5 Cobalt Blue: Gone Missed!
Discovery D1 Auto Oxford Blue Not missed at all!
Discovery D1 Avalon Blue First LR! missed!
Now demoted to a VW
26th Feb 2017 10:27 pm
dgardel
Member Since: 03 Nov 2009
Location: Greater Venice
Posts: 2025
First I'll try a BMS reset:
1. full charge of the battery
2. BMS Reset (but you need a diagnostic tool like IDTool or SDD)Discovery 5 tdv6 HSE Corris Gray Outback Engineering Limited Edition IID Pro MV License
26th Feb 2017 10:58 pm
Curioso
Member Since: 13 Feb 2016
Location: Gothenburg
Posts: 2
Thank you
Hej! Thank you for all tips and advice. It really should be a software option to be able to put the car "in sleep mode" with minimum battery drainage.
I guess the Discovery D4 is not designed to go camping in, which is a pity. Too much electronic stuff always on. Do you think it would work to install a switch that killed the electronics/entertainment systems etc? Just like if a fuse would be blown?
4th Mar 2017 5:58 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
If the interior lights are on might be worth fitting leds?
4th Mar 2017 7:23 pm
lespes
Member Since: 17 Sep 2009
Location: Sitting Down
Posts: 2232
That said when it has gone into shut down and low power warning has come on etc never had a problem starting vehicle.
Use to keep power pack in rear for a jump start too, but never needed it so do not bother anymore.
Maybe it is a safe guard so enough power is kept in reserve for starting purposes, but the warning throws us into panic mode. Had the same prob on D2 (revised model) bit of radio and doors open would flatten batt in around about 1hr as I found, but that was dead flat and needed a jump No warnings at all D4 Landmark MY16 Santorini Black THE LAST
D4 HSE MY12 Marmais Teal: Gone. Missed a lot!
Freelander 2 SD HSE MY11 Silver:Thankfully gone.
D4 HSE MY11 Silver: Gone missed !
Range Rover Sport MY06 HSE Buck Blue: Gone missed!
Discovery D2 TD5 Facelift MY Red Gone Missed!
Discovery D2 TD5 Cobalt Blue: Gone Missed!
Discovery D1 Auto Oxford Blue Not missed at all!
Discovery D1 Avalon Blue First LR! missed!
Now demoted to a VW
4th Mar 2017 8:57 pm
DSL Keeper of the wheelie bin
Member Since: 11 May 2006
Location: Off again! :-)
Posts: 72787
Bit scary as the D4 is the backup car for my 6k Scandinavia roadtrip this year, into the truely remote tracks of norf Finland.
Last edited by DSL on 4th Mar 2017 9:03 pm. Edited 1 time in total
4th Mar 2017 9:02 pm
Bill Wright
Member Since: 03 Nov 2007
Location: Glorious Devon
Posts: 3254
I had this problem on a D4 and Land Rover Assist guy said it was likely indicator and in his experience the most common first signs of a defective battery. He changed mine under warranty on a MY 13 and a MY 15 when they were both about 12 months old. Never take life too seriously. Nobody gets out alive anyway.
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put a new battery in the failing alternator killed that ,then I replaced the alternator hen need another new battery 
